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I am going to my VERY first seminer next weekend. It is a weapons seminar with Mike Flynn Sensei. What I was wondering is if any of you had any tips or advice for me with it being my first seminar (and it being a weapons seminar). I figure I need to take a jo, bokken and shinai and a couple gi's, but I'm sure there are things I'm not thinking of.

~Look into the eyes of your opponent & steal his spirit.
~To be a good martial artist is to be good thief; if you want my knowledge, you must take it from me.

1. Wrist band... helps with the sweat running to the handle and in long hot seminars, it is a bother.
2. Plasters afterwards, if you've not handled bokkens and jos long.
3. Ice packs because you might get partners who hasn't too.

Draw strength from stillness. Learn to act without acting. And never underestimate a samurai cat.

If you're getting worn out or your hands are starting to really hurt, consider asking permission to sit out for a while. Bow out, maybe cool your hands with a cold bottle of water, relax your arms and shoulders. Sometimes, just watching class for 10 or 15 minutes gives you new insight for when you ask permission to rejoin.

Oh yeah, ask about etiquette for video taping and taking notes. I have notebooks full from seminars I've attended. You might find taking notes to be useful to your training. I always seem to forget my camera off to the side though....

I've never seen shinai used at a weapons seminar, but if you have it, might as well bring it. Make sure all your weapons are marked (initials on the end usually will do the trick). If you don't have a tsuba on your bokken, I'd suggest getting one. If your weapons bag looks like everyone else's, bring a ribbon or something to tie around the handle so you can easily tell it apart. One gi is probably sufficient, but there's no harm in bringing extra. If you have any kind of upper extremity injuries, including repetitive injuries, have a plan to protect them -- you will probably be doing a fair bit of suburi.

New Liver and/or Kidneys - I seem to recall that alcohol and NSAIDS don't mix...
That's if you do the Advil and Beer thing.

Ice packs. Watch what seniors do. See if the shihan(s) give them grief for doing it or praise them for doing it - do the sorts of things that get praise, avoid the things that get scoldings - if you can tell the difference.
Cheers,
W